LEGACY: A FAMILY PORTRAIT

BORISLAV BOGDANOVICH 1899 - 1970

My brother Peter Bogdanovich and I are producing a documentary about our late father Borislav, his life as a renowned artist; his rescue of our Jewish mother Herma and her immediate family as WWII erupted in Former Yugoslavia, 1939; their life in their new home, the United States of America - first in New York City where he was exhibited with the great masters of modern art…

… and finally, in Scottsdale, Arizona, commissioned by the Chairman of the Valley National Bank, Walter Reed Bimson, to paint murals of Hopi, Navajo, Pueblo, and Plains Native American scenes during the 1960’s. (VNB was acquired by Bank One; BO acquired by JP Morgan Chase)

The idea for our documentary was born when we visitedour father's homeland (Vojvodina, Serbia) a few years ago.

Peter received a Golden Seal Lifetime Achievement award at theBelgrade 40th International Film Festival.

Please scroll down this page for a brief outline and visit additional Series of Posts in the MEMOIR Blog.

We look forward to exploring our ancestral heritage on both sides and have already sent in our DNA samples to Ancestry.com and 23 & Me!

As we further investigate our ancestral origins and family tree in a journey of discovery we reveal the artistic legacy and lineages we carry forward...with our own work...and in our own families and relationships...from both the paternal Bogdanovich and maternal Robinson sides.

Borislav's Mother Mara and Father Antonije Bogdanovic / RUMA

Our grandfather Antonije died when our father Borislav was only 11. Our grandmother Mara died the year I was born. Sadly, our father never saw his mother again after coming to America in 1939.

Portraits of Peter and Anna Bogdanovich

Peter Pierrot 1943

Borislav with Toys / Ruma c. 1901

Borislav / RUMA c. 1902

Borislav became an accomplished classical pianist as well as a renowned fine artist.

The Idyll broken...their little Tonka dies in the fall of 1938 due to a tragic household accident... and Hitler is about to invade the country.

Herma is pregnant with Peter during the crossing and he is born in July 1939.

Although his father tried to encourage his son to paint, Peter was not overly enthusiastic...as can be seen by his expression!

Peter became passionate for the dramatic arts at a young age and followed his heart to the stage and screen...

Connecticut summer at the "Little House"

Anna Thea is born on the morning of the opening of Borislav's one-man show at the newly joined partnership of the Van Diemen-Lilienfield Galleries. The artist was exhibited with Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Expressionist and other masters of Modern Art including Renoir, Degas, Monet, Matisse, Bonnard, Chagall, Picasso, Braque, Dufy, Klee and Kandinsky. He was exhibited along with other Impressionist, Post Impressionist, and Modern masters including Picasso, Renoir, Chagall, Degas and Monet.

The Puzzle 1956

Painting Lesson 1958

Our mother Herma had developed Asthma in NY during the 60's...during an exploratory visit to Arizona, she met Gallery Owner Avis Read.

A successful exhibition followed and the family relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1966. Our father was commissioned to paint a series of Native American Murals 1967 - 1970. The Triptych of murals donated to NAU was just returned to the Bogdanovich Collection (see slide show below).

Borislav's brother Rastko and sister Vladislava died as children...other children were born after this photo was taken: Anca (Anna) who I was named after; Bojana; and Boshko, who also died as a teenager.

Borislav procures exit visas for Herma and her immediate family - father Henry, mother Rudolfine, sisters Charlotte and Ruth and brother John - to attend the 1939 NY World's Fair. They depart on the Ile de France in April, 1939; Borislav follows them to America on The Manhattan in May.

Ile De France, April 1939

They take up residence in NYC and Borislav is soon exhibited in major galleries.

The Manhattan, May 1939

On the Grass 1942

Van Diemen Gallery 1948

The Actor 1951 (raised gesso, gold leaf frame by Herma 1960)

Herma, Peter and Anna NYC 1956

Piano Lesson 1959

Buffalo Hunt ( 6 x 26 feet )

After the artist's untimely and sudden death in 1970, the family produced a series of Retrospective Exhibitions in Europe from 1975-1979For additional information, please visit EXHIBITIONS: RETROSPECTIVESArtworks that remained in Europe were stored at Momart in London, England. Anna discovered there were missing paintings during an inventory. These missing paintings will be investigated for the documentary, in hopes of locating them. For additional information, visit GALLERY: MISSING

After a hiatus of 30 years a new cache of artworks were presented at Trigg Ison Fine Art:

The family tree has many branches and progeny on both sides of the family. Additional volumes of biographical photographs, gallery brochures, correspondence, interviews, videos and other biographical materials are in process of being archived. Selections will continue to be posted on this website and included in our documentary.

Peter taped interviews with our mother Herma several months before she passed away in 1979. Our mother had spearheaded the 1975-1979 retrospective exhibitions in Europe, producing many additional frames that her sister (our Aunt Charlotte) and I also assisted her in making. EXHIBITIONS: RETROSPECTIVES

Writer/cousin Carla Stockton (daughter of Aunt Charlotte) also recorded discussions with our mother and is further researching and compiling information regarding our mothers' Robinson side of the family - our Jewish heritage.

On the Bogdanovich side, fine artist/cousin Fedja Soretić and other family members can provide information, materials and photographs from early days in Former Yugoslavia. The Bogdanovich family roots stem from the Vojvodina area of Serbia, Novi Sad, and Ruma - the Ruma Museum has volumes of biographical information. The Bogdanovich Family had been long time Patrons of the Arts.

Fedja Soretić (photo Serbian Consulate NY)

Jason Klassi and I with "The Cats" Los Gatos, CA.

I am forever grateful to my cousins who continue to provide their love, knowledge and support towards documenting and archiving the history of our ever-growing family TREE...